An Interview with Roxana Naderi
Tell us a little about yourself:
My name is Roxana Naderi, and I am a graduating senior majored in Biochemistry and minored in both Chemistry and Medical History and Ethics (MHE). I was recently accepted to the 2009 entering class of the UW School of Medicine.
How were you affiliated with AED?
I first became an associate member in 2007, and I served as Chapter Treasurer in the 2007-2008 academic year. I am now a national lifetime member of AED.
What did you learn as a result of being involved with AED?
I learned so much about being a part of a University Registered Student Organization; it was great to be able to connect with members of the community on various projects. Also I loved getting to know my fellow pre-meds better; I valued the support system and motivation I got from AED. AED taught me that if you believe enough in a cause, you can make that cause a reality. I learned to be more aggressive when I was pursuing research and volunteer opportunities, and I appreciated the fact that I had so many pre-med resources in one place through AED. If I ever needed advice about which classes to take and how I should get involved on campus, I could always count on my fellow AED members.
What do you feel is the importance of active membership vs. passiveness when involved with student organizations?
Anyone can mention that they are members of one student organization or another on their resume, but what med schools really look for is what that organization meant for you and what things you learned out of that experience. The quality, not the quantity, of your experiences is more important for others to know about. In addition, if you are truly passionate about an organization or project, you will naturally be more active towards it, and as a result, you will grow as an individual. Being a passive member of any organization is only detrimental to you; one thing I learned as a student here was that there were too many ways to get involved at this university, and the way to be most successful is to focus your time and energy on a handful of things you are passionate about.
If you could go back and do everything over what would you change? What advice do you have for fellow AED members?
Nothing. Every experience I have had as an undergraduate student, positive or negative, has helped me grow in some way. My attitude with respect to my undergraduate career was always to live with no regrets. I got involved in everything I wanted to do, and I eliminated any commitment that I wasn’t passionate about. I even decided to study abroad for a month as I was going through the medical school application process! Many people can be so focused on achieving their goal of getting accepted into medical school that they forget to seize the opportunities they have as undergrads! You cannot relive these days as undergrads; if you have always wanted to do something like study abroad, DO IT. Most medical students regret not having such an experience as undergrads.
Another word of advice I have for AED students is that in such a competitive pre-med environment like the UW, one may feel pressured to get involved in things just because it would look good on their resume. It is important to have a well-rounded experience, but don’t let being “pre-med” dictate everything you’re doing as an undergrad. Also, each person has a different experience applying to medical school; when it comes to applying, do it your way. You are the applicant, you are the one who can choose to take the year off, to take the MCATs over the summer, to go straight into med school after undergrad, etc. There is no “right way” to get into med school, as long as you have explored other options and you are positive that you want to pursue medicine.
My best advice is to take advantage of the opportunities you have at this university; seek advice from fellow pre-meds in AED, get involved in mentorship programs, and most importantly, ENJOY THESE YEARS!
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